Musical novelty



NOV. 1, 1932. LANGER 1,885,843

MUSICAL NOVELTY Filed June 29 1931 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 1,1932 1,885,843

FRIEDRICH J. LANGER, OF SOUTH EUCLID, OHIO MUSICAL NOVELTY Applicationfiled June 29, 1931. Serial No. 547,651.

My invention relates to improvements in substantially parallel with eachother in pomusical or rhythmical novelties to be used sition to grip theball and back of the finger without or in connection with a specialteachrespectively. ing system for encouraging and developing The freeend of tongue 3 is provided with by unconscious finger action a highertecha narrow transversely extending arcuate grip- 55 nique and musicalor rhythmical advanceping flange 5 of suificientlength to extend ment,particularly in children. approximately across the back of the finger,

The invention consists of a series of small and a similarly formed butoppositely curved metal cap-like members, preferably one for arcuategripping flange 6 on the free end each finger and thumb, which areadapted of the body 2 engages the front of the finger 60 to fit snuglyupon the ends of the fingers and transversely thereof and with resilientgripthumb in position for convenient tapping ping effect. Thus thefinger will be resilwith rhythmical effect against any hard or ientlygripped between the front and back resonant surface, members 2 and 8 andalso between their re- One of the general objects of the inventionspective opposing end flanges 5 and 6. These 66 is to provide a tappingcap with a plurality flanges 5 and 6 are preferably made slightly oftapping surfaces or portions whereby heavier and therefore stronger andless resounds of different resonant qualities can be silient than thetongue 3 as the former are produced, the main gripping and holdingsurfaces.

Another object is to so construct the cap- The connecting loop 4comprises a some- 70 like members that they will snugly and re- Whatshallow bulged portion 8 of slightly siliently fit the tips or ends ofvarying sizes greater width than the tongue 3, and as preof fingerswithout constriction and conseviously stated connects the latter to thebody quent interference with the circulatory sys- 2. The shallow recess10 formed in the contem. Another object of the invention is to cave sideof the bulged portion 8 serves as a so construct the cap-like membersthat they seat for the finger tip while a recess 7 formed will notinterfere with proper finger action. in the bellied enlargement 9 of thefront Further objects and advantages will be apmember 2 seats the ballof the finger. parent as the specification is compared with The bulgedportion 8 and enlargement 9 I 30 the accompanying drawing, in whichFigure constitute tapping areas and therefore must 1 is a pictorialillustration of the musical be comparatively thick and heavy. This isnovelties as used on the fingers of the operapreferably accomplished bycrowding the tor, diagrammatically including a sounding metal from whichthe cap is made into these board. Fig. 2 is a rear View of one of theareas during the process of stamping, or

35 cap-like members used as illustrated in Fig. molding, preferablyemployed in making the l 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 caps.The tongue 3 is relatively thin and of Fig. 4, and Fig. at is a sideelevation of of such resilience that it can be flexed to acthe cap-likemember, and Fig. 5 a sectional commodate different sizes of fingerswithout view on line 55 of Fig. 4. choking effect.

Referring more particularly to the draw- In practice the extendedfingers are maniping wherein I have illustrated a preferred ulatedrythmatically with an up and down embodiment of my invention, 1 is asubstanmotion so as to cause the enlargements or taptially U-shapedcap-like member preferably ping areas 9 to contact with a hard surface10 r made of thin flexible sheet metal of suitable with musical effector rhythmical effect. A y resilience, and shaped to slip snugly over thetapping cap 1 is preferably used on each finger end of a persons finger,as illustrated in and thumb but practically the same results Fig. 1. Thecap 1 comprises a front member can be obtained by omittingone or morecaps or body portion 2, and a back or tongue-like from either hand. If asofter tone is desired portion or member 3, connected together at thefingers may be slightly curved thus bringone end by a loop portion 4 andextending ing the small bulged portions or tappingareas 8 into play. Thevolume of sound can thus be greatly reduced, because, due to thelocation of area 8, a slight relative movement of the fingers and capwith respect to each other is caused When the area 8 is brought intoplay, and this movement serves to cushion the blow. The reduced area andWeight of the portion 8, is also a factor in reducing the sound volumeas Will be obvious. 7 It will be noted that the thumb cap-members 1 aresubstantially of the same construction as the linger members 1, the onlydiflere ence being in size and manner 'of application. The members 1engage and grip the front and back of the fingers Whereas the members 1'engage the sides of the thumb.

Due to the inherent resiliency and flexibility of the material used andby virtue of the spring action of the tongue 3, the cap Will 1 adaptitself to, fingers of different size and will snugly embrace the fingersWithout choking effect, the gripping flanges being of material aid inpreventing objectional longitudinal movement of the cap. Having thusdescribed my invention, what I claim, is a 1-. A musical noveltycomprising a member of thin flexible material for embracing a personsfinger, said member having a plurality of rounded thickened tappingportions formed thereon.

2. A musical novelty comprising a member of hard thin flexible materialfor embracing a persons finger, said member having a rounded thickenedtapping portion. V

'3. A musical novelty comprising a member of thin hard flexible materialfor embracing a persons finger, said cap formed With a pluralityofrounded thickened portions differing in areas from each other capableof producing sounds of different volume when contacted Witha hardsurface. I

i. A musical novelty comprising a substantially U-shaped member of hardflexible material for embracing a persons finger, said member being openat its sides having a rounded thickened tapping area at its ends.

5'. A musical novelty comprising a cap of thin flexible material havingfront and back relatively parallel members adapted to grip the front andback portions only of a FRIEDRlGI-I J. LANGER.

persons finger, a tapping portion connecting said members for seatingthe fingertip and a thickened bellied enlargement on the other portionfor seating the ball of the finger.

7 6. A musical novelty comprising a cap of thin flexible material havinga front bellied tapping portion and a relatively parallel tongue likeback portion adaptedto grip a persons finger, a tapping portionconnecting the outer ends of said front andback portions, and the innerends of said portions being disconnected from each other. 7

7. A musical novelty comprising a cap of thin flexible material open atits sides from

